For your reading pleasure (torture)... This is my PhD in its entirety, just a couple of edit rounds from submission.

For those who want the quick version read the abstract, chapter 1 and chapter 9. The detailed findings are chapters 4-8. If you like a lot of theory you can find it in chapter 2.

All comments are welcome.

http://cbe.anu.edu.au/tmp/PhD_Complete_v2.pdf

This link may be temporary, if it doesn't work email me at toni.eagar@anu.edu.au and I can send you a copy. Its too big to attach using the forum system.

PhD Student: Research information sheet

There once was a man named Bruce
Who liked to sit on a spruce
He ate lots of chowder
And yelled at me louder:
"I'm talking to YOU, Mrs. Hughes!"
--> The Literary Genius: Mowgli

There's a typo here 'So how is you PhD going' for you to correct.

Dragon's Kingdom - Stop typing "alot" when you mean "a lot"! - Disappointed

I read the introduction and outline. It's not really an area of study I normally get into, but I have thought about it a lot nevertheless. Not so much with authors but with large corporations like Microsoft and Google, especially the latter. I remember when Google was almost worshiped like a God, in fact I'm sure it wasn't that long ago when the standard forum answer to basic questions was 'Google is your friend', sometimes with the text linking to the answer - depending on how snooty the supplier/worshiper was. There's a kind of pheneomea where people loved Google when it was seen to be overtaking the big guys, like they believed a lot of the success was down to them, the worshipers themselves, which I suppose it was to some extent. But then came the inevitable hate and resentment when Google reached the top, or soon after. There's nowhere left for Google to go, and nothing left for Google to do but try and cling to that small bit of rock at the top of the mountain, waiting for a new whatever to come along and topple them. And it's almost like some people are willing this to happen, always talking about the next 'Google Killer', or worried that Google knows too much, is too powerful - using Orwellian clichés that I wouldn't touch with a.. erm something cool and not a cliché.

I would also say that the rise of Google took some of the heat off Microsoft, which has also being boosted by their Godhead packing his bags and donating untold wealth to charities. I've heard phrases like 'Don't see what the fuss is about, I like Microsoft' and 'I use Windows because it works', well yeah, that's what it's meant to do.

There is a big difference between MS of Google though. Practically everyone knows Microsoft is a large corporation, and treats it like one. With Google, however, there are still loads of people out there who treat and talk about Google like it's a person and not a collection of computer algorithms and hardware with a massive company running it - especially in the web design/web dev world. They say things such as 'Google doesn't like it when you..' and 'Google has penalized my site' 'what can I do to influence Google' and even 'what can I do to make Google like me?'.

Getting back to your subject though, I still see people vehemently protecting Google, deriding those who try to flaunt the 'rules' laid down by Google. People who have no connection with Google and have never worked for Google, acting as if they know what Google 'thinks' and 'knows'. I don't mean SEO 'specialists' either, I'm talking about people sat at home or school answering posts in forums.

A good example is this guy asking how often Google search results are updates (SERPS). The only honest answer is, because Google won't tell anyone how their stuff works, nobody knows. But look at the variety of answers from the 'worshipers' trying to guess the whims of their God:
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=2380564

Dragon's Kingdom - Stop typing "alot" when you mean "a lot"! - Disappointed

Thanks Mal. There is some work done on these myths about brands. If you want more info the Cult of MacIntosh by Russell Belk (see reference list) covers the difference between the myth of Apple as anti-corporate with a IP restrictive corporation.

PhD Student: Research information sheet

There once was a man named Bruce
Who liked to sit on a spruce
He ate lots of chowder
And yelled at me louder:
"I'm talking to YOU, Mrs. Hughes!"
--> The Literary Genius: Mowgli

I realize this is a long-dead thread. Still, I feel a need to mention a couple of small errors of expression.

[quote=Maljonic;53544] There's a kind of pheneomea

phenomenon

[quote=Maljonic;53544] I still see people vehemently protecting Google, deriding those who try to flaunt the 'rules' laid down by Google.

flout, not flaunt

[quote=Tamar;53560]I realize this is a long-dead thread. Still, I feel a need to mention a couple of small errors of expression.

[quote=Maljonic;53544] There's a kind of pheneomea

phenomenon

You have been relegated to grammar prison where you can join that other grammar-Nazi Grace for rehabilitation to let typos roll off your back like the unintended mistakes they are...

PhD Student: Research information sheet

There once was a man named Bruce
Who liked to sit on a spruce
He ate lots of chowder
And yelled at me louder:
"I'm talking to YOU, Mrs. Hughes!"
--> The Literary Genius: Mowgli

Spiky wrote:
>You have been relegated to grammar prison where you can join that other grammar-Nazi Grace for rehabilitation to let typos roll off your back like the unintended mistakes they are...<

Hey, it's the most action there's been here in weeks.
Since it doesn't show at all, I have no clue what your PhD is about, but congratulations anyway! I know they're a lot of work.